New Rules To Beef Up Housing Hurricane Safeguards Could Increase Costs

March 12, 1993|By ALAN CHERRY, Staff Writer

New homes in Broward County would have stronger windows, doors, roofs and walls if the Board of Rules and Appeals approves hundreds of proposed building regulations spurred by the destruction caused by Hurricane Andrew.

``The purpose is to address what happened in Hurricane Andrew and to make stronger buildings,`` board Chairman Richard Steele said on Thursday night.

Proposed changes would revamp the entire section of the code pertaining to hurricane protection, including making buildings sturdier in severe winds and more costly to build.

The rewriting of the building code started before the Aug. 24 hurricane, and was following national standards recommended in the wake of Hurricane Hugo, which ravaged South Carolina in September 1989.

``Andrew just accelerated what we were doing,`` said William ``Rusty`` Carroll, assistant adminstrative director of the board. ``Some of the recommended changes will be minor, and some will be major.``

This will be the largest batch of changes in building regulations ever recommended in Broward, Carroll said. Changes will be presented to board members on June 1, to be followed by a series of special meetings throughout the summer, and then by a vote of the board. The proposed new rules would start in January.

Homes could be more costly as a result, Carroll said. He compared the new regulations` effect on increasing housing costs to similar changes agreed to last week in Dade County.

In Dade, the area of South Florida hardest hit by Andrew, a safer home will cost 3 to 5 percent more, or $3,000 to $5,000 on a $100,000 home.

Broward`s Board of Rules and Appeals has already taken some steps to ensure improved construction standards, most recently placing major restrictions on the use of air-driven hammers and staple guns.

The restriction had stipulated that an architect or engineer must give approval each time a contractor intended to use the air-powered tools.

Rules and Appeals members on Thursday softened their stand on using air- driven hammers in construction to allow the devices to be used without the review of an engineer or architect, as long as a minimum-sized nail is used.

The softer stance involves only the use of air-driven hammers in roof construction and not other sections of the house.

Construction groups have complained the new regulations have forced contractors to stop using staples and nails in the construction of houses and other structures. The use of staples has been criticized because they rust and fall apart faster than nails.